Lock-stitch mechanism for sewing-machines.



7 N0. 700,l3|. Patented May I3, I902.

I E. 0. BLACKWELL'.

LOCK STITCH MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

1 (Application filed. Mar. 26, 1901. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet l.

Patented May 13,1902. E. 0. BLAGKWE'LL. LOCK STITCH MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

(Application filed 26, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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No. 700,|3|. Patented May I3, 1902.

E. 0. BLAGKWELL.

LOGK'STITCH MECHANISM FOR SEWING MACHINES.

I (Application flld m. 26, 1901, (No Mqdol.) 3 sheets-sheen.

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2o bins and shuttles to carry.

UNITED Sierras PATENT FFICE.

SIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN SPENCE IRVINE, OF OAULFIELD, VIO- TORIA, AUSTRALIA, AND FREDERICK BAKER, OF MIDDLE BRIGHTON,

VICTORIA AUSTRALIA.

LOCK-STITCH MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 700,131, dated May 13, 190 2.

Application filed March 26, 1901. Serial No- 52,984. (No model.)

1o mentsin sewing-machines, the main object of which is to dispense with the necessity of winding bobbins or spools for the shuttle, and

consequently the mechanism for performing such operation, and, furthermore, avoids the 15' loss of time occasioned by having to remove the shuttle and substitute fresh bobbins when the cotton has run out, which occurs comparatively frequently, owing to the limited supply which it is possible for ordinary bob- In fine,with this invention a lock-stitch sewing-machine is produced in which the cotton is supplied straight from the reel.

For the sake of clearness in the accompa- 25 nying drawings I have illustrated my improvements as applied to perhaps one of the simplest constructions of sewing-machinest. e., the reciprocating shuttle; but it will be obvious to machinists and others versed in the art to which this invention appertains that with slight variations of detail, position of parts, 850., the improvements herein set forth can be readily adapted to other makes of machines Without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan of the under gear of a sewing-machine embodying my improvements, the cover being re- 0 moved to showthe mechanism more clearly; and Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section on line 2 2, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical section of the upper gear drawn to a smaller scale. Fig. 4. is a horizontal section 45 of the shuttle. Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views of the shuttle-driver.

In carrying this invention into practice I provide a hollow shuttle 1, of such a size as will conveniently hold inside it any ordinarysized reel of cotton or silk which is dropped loosely on a hollow fixed spindle 2 and secured by a cover having a short stem which fits firmly in such hollow spindle, the end of the cotton being passed through a slit and drawn into a holein the shuttle and passed under any form of tension-spring, as usual.

On each side of theshuttle grooves or guideways '3 4 are cut, which engage with rails 5 6, fixed to the side of the path in which the shut- .tle travels, and insures an even horizontal movement. The shuttle-driver 7 has two laterally-projecting arms or prongs 8 and 9, which reciprocate the shuttle, and the arm or prong 9 has a spring-hinge 10 to permit of its being thrown back parallel with the driver 7 when it is required to remove the shuttle, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 5.

The shuttle-driver 7 is attached to a traveler 12, which is driven by a connecting-rod pivoted. to the crank 13, rigidly secured to the vertical shaft 14. This latter drives themain horizontal shaft through the medium of bevel-gearing in the usual manner. The traveler 12 slides horizontally to and fro in a slotted path or way 16 on the one side and is steadied on the other by a ring 17, (secured to its under side,) sliding along a rod 18. The traveler 12 is constructed with a cam-path or driving-track 19 20, as illustrated in Fig. 1, in which works a stud 21 on a laterally moving hooked rod 22, so that when it is in the horizontal portion 19 of the path the hook remains stationary; but when it is in that part of the track marked said hook is driven forward to the point of the needle, as illustrated in Fig. 1, and then back again on the return stroke, as illustrated in Fig. 2. The object of this hooked rod 22 is to catch the loop of the needle-thread when the reciprocating shuttle is passing and draw it along the groove 11 on the inclined face of said shuttle, across the shuttle-path, and hold it 'untilthe shuttle passes, when it is released and slides over the rear end of said shuttle. When the needle is in its raised position and the shut- 95 tle is in its rearmost position, the thread is I released, as just mentioned, and a lock-stitch formed with the cotton from the shuttle. A small recess 23 is formed on the needle side of the path in which the shuttle reciprocates to enable the hooked rod to perform this operation, and the rails 5 and 6 are broken at this point for the same purpose.

The traveler 12, hooked rod 22, 850., are shown horizontal, but may be inclined upwardly, and the grooves on the shuttle 1 may be so disposed that the shuttle will be carried with its nose or point slightly elevated, as by this means a shorter needle can be used.

The slack in the needle-thread arising from the use of a comparatively large shuttle is taken up and the tension maintained by allowing the needle to progress a certain distance downwardly before the take-up lever draws the required amount of cotton from the reel which feeds it. In order to attain this object, I provide a lever 24, pivoted at 25 to the main frame, having an eye 26 at one end through which the cotton passes and at the shorter end a stud 27, which engages in a grooved cam 28, rigidly attached to the main shaft 15. This cam is so adjusted on the shaft that the lever will keep the cotton in tension until it is required by the needlethat is, after the needle has moved some distance downwardly. The needle-bar 29 may be operated in the ordinary way through the medium of a heart-shaped cam 30, driven by a crank-pin 31, engaging with its groove.

It will be obvious that other mechanical devices for operating the rod 22 can readily be suggested and that its shape, position, and

particular movement may be varied in order to accomplish the object for which it is intendedz 6., to catch the loop of the needlethread and draw it across the shuttle-path,so that the shuttle can pass through and form a lock-stitch.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- In a lock-stitch-forming mechanism for sewin g-machines, the combination with a needlethread-operating mechanism,a shuttle adapted to be reciprocated past the needle of the machine, a pair of guide-rails for said shuttle, a driver provided with a fast and a springpressed arm engaging with the shuttle for reciprocating it, a rod adapted to have one end thereof catch the loop of the needle-thread and draw the same across the shuttle-path and hold said thread during the passage of I EDWIN ORLANDO lllulCKWEhL.

WVitnesses:

EDWARD WATERS, J r., WALTER SMYTHE BAYSTON. 

